Bobby pin



p 1953 R. J.PORTARO 2,650,596

BOBBY PIN Filed' Aug. 18, 1951 IN VEN TOR. Ross J. PoRTARo A rromvar Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBBY PIN Ross J. Portaro, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 18, 1951, Serial No. 242,463

1 Claim.

My invention relates to bobby pins and the like and the principal object of my invention is to provide new and improved constructions of this character.

Bobby pins in common usage comprise a loop and a pair of legs extending from the loop, the latter yieldably urging the legs toward each other. The disadvantage of the common bobby pin lies in the fact that it is diflicult to open.

Heretofore, women have damaged finger nails and polish on such nails in their attempt to open a bobby pin in order to spread the pin legs far enough to receive a strand of hair. Other women have used their teeth to pry open bobby pins, but this is not only unsanitary but is also detrimental to the teeth.

To avoid the foregoing disadvantages, bobby pin openers have been proposed and designed, such openers comprising a wedge-like surface over which the free ends of the legs are pressed to spread-apart such legs. However, such articles are not practical since most women prefer to open the pins during the time the hair is being manipulated and therefore find it inconvenient to deviate from customary operation. Further, pin openers are an added item which women do not care to carry and therefore their usefulness is confined to the boudoir.

Certain attempts have been made by prior inventors to overcome the disadvantages inherent in the ordinary bobby pin and as an example certain prior patents show bobby pins having leg portions of unequal width. However, in an article as small as a bobby pin the possible difference in relative widths is so small as to make the construction unsuccessful in an attempt to solve the diiliculties mentioned.

My invention provides a bobby pin that is easily grasped and manipulated and that may be easily opened by use of only one hand, the opening between the legs of the pin being free of any obstruction so that the pin may be readily used during manipulation of the hair.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bobby pin illustrating the manner in which the pin may be opened,

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating my improved bobby pin from a different angle,

Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of the bobby pin and Figure 4 is an edge view thereof.

With reference to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention therein disclosed comprises a boddy pin l0 having legs II and I2 which are resiliently connected so as to be urged toward each other. The legs may be either of equal or unequal lengths and in the embodiment herein disclosed, the leg I2 is slightly shorter than the leg II and is formed with the customary outwardly curved end portion I3.

Preferably, the legs are formed as: extensions of a loop I4, in accordance with usual practice, and the legs may be corrugated or may be plain, as desired.

Each of the legs is provided with projection means, preferably ofi-set relative to each other, to enable a user to easily open the pin through use of the fingers of one hand.

In the embodiment herein disclosed. a tab l5 extends from a side edge of the leg II and this tab is positioned adjacent to the loop M. A tab It extends from a corresponding side edge of the leg I2 and is spaced from the tab l5.

The tab 15 is preferably of a size so that it may be conveniently grasped between the thumb and middle finger of a user, as illustrated in Figure 1, so that the pin may be easily handled. To eifect opening of the pin, it is merely necessary to apply finger pressure (such as through use of the index finger) on the tab 16. Thereafter, the pin is ready for application to the hair of a user.

The bobby pin of my invention may be made of any suitable material, a common material being a metal which possesses suflicient resiliency so that the legs I l and [2 are yieldably urged toward each other. A metal pin may be colored to blend with different types of hair and such coloring may take the form of a plastic coating, although it is to be understood that the coating may also be colorless. With proper design, it is also possible to make the pin entirely of plastic or a similar material.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

A bobby pin comprising a pair of substantially straight integrally connected legs of resilient material yieldably urged toward one another in closely contacting relation, one of said legs adjacent its connection with the other leg having an integral tab projecting laterally outwardly from one edge only thereof and of a size sufficient for engagement between a finger and thumb of the user, the other leg having an integrally formed tab spaced from said first mentioned tab in a direction toward the free ends of said legs and 10 rection as said first mentioned tab for engagement by another finger of the user, whereby the 4 bobby pin when said one leg tab is grasped by the hand of the user, may be easily opened by other finger pressure exerted against said other leg tab to spread apart said resiliently connected legs.

ROSS J. PORTARO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

